1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus having a color measuring device that measures the color of a color measuring pattern recorded on a recording material with a colorimeter.
2. Related Art
In printed matter production sites, color proofing is performed. Specifically, before starting printing, a proof print is generated, and it is checked whether or not the color of image data is faithfully reproduced by reference to an image displayed on the proof print and verification color patches displayed together with the image.
Digital matching in which the color of an image on a CRT monitor is electronically matched to the color of an image displayed on the proof print output from an output device such as a printer or an image setter on the basis of a color management file called “profile” is widely prevalent and is carried out in print data production sites and printed matter production sites (JP-A-11-004353).
To reduce the time required to generate a proof print, a form of color proofing called “simplified proofing” in which a proof sheet is output directly from print data for plate making is widely prevalent. For outputting such a proof sheet, an ink jet recording apparatus mounted with a color measuring device is used.
An ink jet recording apparatus mounted with a color measuring device includes a colorimeter that obtains color measurement data from a recording surface of a recording material serving as a proof sheet, a colorimeter holder that holds the colorimeter, a colorimeter carriage that reciprocates the colorimeter holder on a retainer member that holds the recording material during color measurement, and a link mechanism that links the colorimeter holder and the colorimeter carriage.
The colorimeter holder and the retainer member are designed to be parallel to each other. However, components of the color measuring device always have dimension errors. Assembly errors and deformations over time are added to the dimension errors, and warping, undulation, or torsion occurs. Therefore, actually, the colorimeter holder and the retainer member are not always parallel to each other as designed. Although wheels of the colorimeter holder have to be in contact with a guide surface of the retainer member, some of the wheels can be out of contact with the guide surface. If any of the wheels are out of contact with the guide surface, the distance between the colorimeter and the recording material held by the retainer member is not uniform throughout a color measuring region. This variation in the distance results in a deterioration in color measurement accuracy.